Working From Home – The 10 biggest advantages and top 5 mistakes

The 10 Biggest Advantages to Working From Home Are… 

Most people prefer working from home. There are so many benefits — from higher productivity — to being able to exercise and eat whenever you want , to being able to work in your underwear. However, some things are more important than others. The following are the most appreciated benefits, from greatest to least.

• No commute to work
• Flexible work schedule
• Comfortable work environment
• Ability to spend more time with family
• More opportunities to save money (e.g., gas, eating out)
• No dress code
• Not having a boss breathing down your neck
• A superior work/life balance
• Fewer distractions or interruptions
• Higher productivity

The future is looking more and more exciting for Americans who are making the transition to working from home. One of the primary benefits is the removal of non-essentials. So much of work-life in America has been non-productive, miss-micromanaged distraction.

Instead, most Americans will be able to do work they love, and on their own terms.

Top 5 Mistakes Made When Working From Home

Of course, with working from home being a new experience for many, there are growing pains and a learning curve involved.

The biggest challenge is working too much and neglecting personal life. People generally figure out how to balance work and life, but often after relationship issues have occurred. It’s easy to take loved ones for granted when you’re in close proximity. The problem is never being fully present, but instead a physical body and absent mind. People successfully combat this mistake by scheduling in social events, taking time for themselves, and getting exercise.

Another challenge is losing focus and getting easily distracted. When you’re home, there’s endless stuff you could do, like changing the batch of laundry or taking a nap. Being project focused rather than punching a time clock can easily lead to procrastinating work until the last minute. Morning habits, getting the least desirable thing done first, and having regular working hours help Americans working from home crush distraction.

Another challenge is disorganization. It can be easy to miss a deadline without good planning or calendar skills. When you work from home, you often need to improve your planning skills. Five ways to be more organized are:

• Keep a regular daily schedule
• Don’t take on more jobs than you can realistically handle
• Keep all your ideas in one place (e.g., journal, planner, or whiteboard)
• Schedule in personal time to avoid burnout
• Reply to important emails immediately

Similar to disorganization is mismanagement of time. You don’t have a boss micromanaging you, so you need to be your own boss. Most people who transition to working from home think they can work the same schedule they did at their office. This is often false, and a new schedule must be constructed around their lifestyle and personality. When you work from home, you literally need to schedule in your family time and personal life. Again, the best approach is getting the important stuff done early in the day so you can be flexible to all that life naturally brings.

The final challenge people face is becoming a hermit. Indeed, there is a great deal of social isolation when working from home. This is the biggest challenge for extroverts. Conversely, it is a great advantage to introverts who make great and happy entrepreneurs and freelancers. Yet, even introverts benefit from social interaction. The remedy is scheduling in time often to be with collaborators and others who uplift you.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at If You Work From Home (or Aspire to) You Must Read This — Life Learning — Medium